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c. 1951
Deceased:2016
Language Group:Anmatyerre
Country:Ahalpere, Utopia Region, North East of Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Medium:Acrylic on Canvas and Linen, Batik on Silk, Wood Carving
Subjects:Anwekety (Conkerberry), Awelye (Women's Ceremony), Life and Death Dreaming, Bush Tucker, Camp Scene
Glady Kemarre, a well known Utopia artist, began her career in the late 1970's with the medium of batik. Over 80 other Utopia women participated in this practice for over a decade before the acrylics on canvas movement swept Utopia in the late 1980's. Glady swiftly changed mediums, as did many others, to the ease and liberation of acrylics. Having painted now for us for many years, Glady has become known to us as a fine dot artist with a quiet yet humorous spirit! Though her ability to speak English is not fluent, she is fun to converse with and always has an intelligible glint in her eyes. Glady usually resides with her close relatives Kathleen Ngale, Polly Ngale and Angelina Ngale in Utopia. The art of painting is a very social practice for Glady and the women of her community. Glady rarely paints anything other than the Anwekety Story, whereby fine dot work represents the sweet black conkerberry (anwekety in Glady's native language).
Glady paints Awelye (Women's Ceremonial and Body Paint Designs) for the ancestral dreamtime stories which belong to her country, Ahalpere.
Linear designs represent Awelye. These designs are painted onto the chest, breasts, arms and thighs. Powders ground from red and yellow ochre (clays), charcoal and ash are used as body paint and applied with a flat stick with soft padding. The women sing the songs associated with their Awelye as each woman takes her turn to be 'painted-up'. Women perform Awelye ceremonies to demonstrate respect for their country and the total well-being and health of their community.
